A kaleidoscope of colour for a Limerick and Latvian love

It was seven years ago that ILOVELIMERICK founder Richard Lynch and Hugo Dahn would find true love in each other, meeting on a dancefloor at Dublin Pride where there was an instantaneous connection between them.

“We were in love at first sight,” Limerick man Richard reveals, with Latvian native Hugo choosing to move to Limerick from Dublin with the love of his life three years later.

Wedding Details

Inevitably the dazzling duo’s true love would lead to a wedding, with August 30, 2018 chosen as the date for the special day. The Limerick Strand Hotel was the couple’s dream venue, with stunning views of the River Shannon and Limerick City making up a beautiful backdrop for their wedding and the hotel flying the pride flag on top of its roof to mark the important occasion.

Their wedding date was extra special to guys, with Richard’s late parents Eric and Florence having gotten married that same day 60 years ago, making the day even more special for the soulmates.

Throughout the planning process, from start to finish, the multi award winning wedding planner Sharon McMeel was there with the boys, helping to create a wedding that was made for the fairy tales.

Knowing that for such an importance occasion arriving in style is a must, the two men contacted Heritage Wedding Cars who provide a magnificent vintage green Riley Pathfinder for the big day, enabling the pair to make the entrance they dreamed of.

The phenomenal photos of the guy’s wedding were captured by Dermot Culhane, with each picture a testament to the perfection of the big day as well as the skill of Dermot himself as a photographer.

Luke Culhane and Rory from O’ Donovan Productions made sure to capture the magic of the big day on video, which Richard and Hugo couldn’t be more delighted with the results.

The perfect pair wore matching suits on the day, with Hugo in a grey suit while Richard was in navy, with the stunning look provided by Connolly Man, Co. Limerick.

The critically acclaimed spiritual singer Niorin Ni Riain married the lovebirds and performed a blessing of the guests with water from the River Shannon during the ceremony, adding even further to the magic of the day.

When it came to music, the two lovebirds spared no expense on getting the best of the best, with Michele Grimes of ‘Ireland’s Got Talent’ fame serenading the husbands after the speeches were done.

Other musicians there on the day included mesmerising harpist Grainne Fitzgibbon, super talented singer song writer Emma Langford and master of his trade DJ Eric Fitzgerald.

Special Moments

For the newly-weds, their first dance was incredibly special to them, starting the dance with Kylie Minogue’s ‘Flower’ and ending on Kylie’s ‘All the Lovers’

After the first dance, guests rushed onto the dance floor where they kept going until late into the night, even when the incredible DJ Eric Fitzgerald finished, they continued to dance by having a silent disco to honour their guests from New York.

“We had a huge sparkly white dance floor and I even brought my own disco ball for the centre of the floor. When Eric ended we then had a silent disco until all hours of the morning playing pop and NY House in honour of all my friends who had come from New York!” Richard reveals.

Favourite Memories

With the wedding being so full of wonder, picking just one moment was difficult for Richard and Hugo but a moment that shines out for the magnificent men was the screening of a documentary on Richard’s parent’s love story after the meal. Everyone in the room was moved to tears by their love for each other throughout their lives, something that Richard and Hugo aim to take into their own marriage. Having both been prominent members of the LGBT community in Limerick, the newlyweds do no take for granted the opportunity to marry their soulmates. “We are the lucky ones for sure. Marriage Equality may have been passed in Ireland but others in the global LGBT community are not as fortunate as us in terms of equal rights. We must fight for our brothers and sisters throughout the world and take a stand for human rights for all. Everyone deserves to have the chance to marry the person they love”, Richard said.